


always be there

by mousecat



Series: kittens [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Future Fic, Gen, Humor, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Siblings, background ot3 if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-20
Updated: 2019-01-20
Packaged: 2019-10-13 06:31:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17482949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mousecat/pseuds/mousecat
Summary: He pulled on sweatpants and a hoodie and sent a quick text to Tooru and Wakatoshi before he got in the car. He had a few replies by the time he reached Chiaki’s apartment. He felt bad, he must’ve woken Wakatoshi when he started the car.Hajime: Going to Chiakkun’s. To-chan diedWakatoshi: Give him my condolences.Tooru (っ˘з(˘⌣˘ ) ♡: hug chiakkun for me (づ◡﹏◡)づHajime visits his brother when their childhood cat dies.





	always be there

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING: This fic includes discussion of pet death and in one scene someone is holding the pet right after his death. Details are in the end notes if you’re concerned, but the death is not traumatic/painful/graphic in any way. Take care of yourself.
> 
> This is a very loose sequel, but I recommend reading the first for a nice bit of fluff (´• ω •`)

Hajime blinked awake and groped around his bedside table until his hand landed on his phone. The screen was too bright to make out the time, but he knew it was late. He swiped to answer.

“’lo?” he mumbled. His tongue seemed to still be asleep.

There was a muffled sound on the other end, and Hajime thought maybe he was dreaming.

“Hm this?” Hajime’s head cleared a little. “Who is this?”

“Nii-chan...” said a thin voice on the end. There was a pause then a low sob. Hajime sat up so fast he almost blacked out.

“What’s wrong? Chiaki?”

“N-nothing,” Chiaki said. If the crying or the late night call hadn’t tipped him off, the use of _nii-chan_ certainly would’ve. Hajime couldn’t remember the last time Chiaki used the old nickname, probably not since he was university, and even then it was rare.

“You’re seriously freaking me out,” Hajime said. “Where are you? Are you hurt?”

“Home, ’m fine,” Chiaki said. “Chira-ch-chiramii…”

Hajime’s heart sank at Chiaki’s muffled sobs. “Is Chiramii...gone?”

“Mm,” was the best Chiaki could manage for a moment. “I...I know he was o-old, b-but--”

Hajime hushed him. “Hey, Chiakkun, you’ve had him your whole life. Do you want me to come over?”

Chiaki only resisted a moment before admitting he definitely did want his big brother to come over. When Hajime hung up, he saw it wasn’t even midnight yet, and he'd been fast asleep. He was really fucking old.

He pulled on sweatpants and a hoodie and sent a quick text to Tooru and Wakatoshi before he got in the car. He had a few replies by the time he reached Chiaki’s apartment. He felt bad, he must’ve woken Wakatoshi when he started the car.

_Hajime: Going to Chiakkun’s. To-chan died_

_Wakatoshi: Give him my condolences._

_Tooru (っ˘з(˘⌣˘ ) ♡: hug chiakkun for me (づ◡﹏◡)づ_

_Tooru (っ˘з(˘⌣˘ ) ♡: and stop calling him To-chan!!!_

_Wakatoshi: Yes, don’t disrespect Hime-chan, Hajime_

_Tooru (っ˘з(˘⌣˘ ) ♡: fuck u both_

_Hajime: Too soon guys :/_

Hajime tucked away his phone and let himself into Chiaki’s apartment. Chiaki was sitting on the couch holding Chiramii, his shoulders shaking. Hajime sat down beside him and wrapped an arm around him.

“I was p-petting him and he was purr--purring and he just stopped...st-stopped purring. Couldn’t w-wake him up,” Chiaki said, turning to hide his face against Hajime’s neck.

“It’s okay, little bear, it’s okay,” Hajime murmured. He pushed Chiaki back to hold him at arm’s length. “Hey, listen. I know you’re sad, but Chiramii was so happy. He was purring and being cuddled by his best friend. Can you think of a better way to go?”

A few fat tears rolled down Chiaki’s cheeks, but he shook his head.

“You made him really happy, kiddo. He was warm and comfortable. It’s okay to be sad, but try to remember that, okay?”

Hajime held his brother for awhile, hoping he'd cry it out. Eventually he got up and found the little fleece blanket Chiramii usually slept on and coaxed Chiaki to give him the cat, so he could carefully wrap him up and lay him in his basket. He offered to make them tea, but Chiaki shyly requested hot chocolate instead.

The apartment was small, the kitchen only a couple meters from the living room, but Chiaki trailed after Hajime anyway. He continued to sniffle while he waited for his cocoa. 

It had been a long time since Chiaki had needed this kind of looking after, but it still felt so incredibly familiar to Hajime. He felt like he'd been transported back to twenty-five years ago, comforting Chiaki after being teased by the jerk preteen that lived a street over or fussing over a minor injury when Chiaki fell off his bike. He would never say it out loud, because it a little callous but in way this was nice, being needed again. He hadn't really realized he missed playing this role, missed having a baby brother. 

“Want some distraction?” Hajime said. Chiaki nodded. “You remember Etsuko? She dated Tooru for a couple years at university, and we've stayed friends with her.

“Right so, she visited and went out to lunch with Tooru, and she played the most beautiful prank on him. She's getting a divorce, and she told him that she recently realized she does actually want kids - she’s always been pretty anti-kid. She says she couldn’t imagine starting a family with her ex, but now she's leaving him, and she really wants a child, yeah? She tells him she doesn't want to mess around with finding a new partner or anything; she knows she can do this on her own.”

“Oh god, she asked Tooru for...a donation?” Chiaki looked slightly horrified, but he was also smiling a little too. 

“She totally made him think she was about to, but it's even better,” Hajime said. “She was clearly building up to something big, but she was beating around the bush so Tooru comes right out and says if she's thinking of him as a donor, he can't do it.

“And she says--” Hajime interrupted himself with a chuckle. “Sorry, it’s good. She says no, she wants to ask Ushijima but she wanted to get Tooru's opinion first. Does he think Ushiwaka would be amenable?”

“Holy shit,” Chiaki said. “That’s next level. Did Tooru implode?” 

“No, no. Tooru didn't want to totally burst her bubble, since she's just given this impassioned speech about motherhood and how fulfilling it would be.” Hajime smothered another laugh. “So Tooru says he doesn't think Wakatoshi would be comfortable with it, since they don't know each other very well and whatever.

“Etsuko doesn’t blink. ‘What about Iwaizumi? We've always been on good terms, we're friends.’”

Chiaki covered his laugh. His eyes were still red from crying, but they looked brighter. Hajime was gratified that his story was doing the trick. “Tooru must have been losing his mind,” Chiaki said. 

“Can you imagine? She completely rejects his sperm then asks for Wakatoshi's and mine in turn.

“Anyway, he's like, Iwaizumi has never really wanted kids. If he had one, he'd want a role in her life but that doesn't sound like what you're looking for. And he definitely doesn't want kids.”

“Please tell me she showed him some mercy and admitted she was kidding?” Chiaki asked. He’d always had a bit of a mischievous streak, but he was still more sensitive than his brother. He definitely had more compassion for Tooru. Probably because he didn't know Tooru like Hajime did. 

Just thinking about what came next made Hajime break down with laughter. He struggled for several moments to get himself under enough control to finish his story. “Tooru finally figured it out when….” was all he could get out before he was caught in another fit of laughter. 

“Nii-chan, come on,” Chiaki said, poking him in the ribs to try to force cooperation. He started to giggle the more Hajime struggled to get his words out. “It can't be that funny. Tell me!”

“Okay, okay.” Hajime wiped tears from his face. “She asked about--” Hajime broke off to laugh again but quickly regained his composure. “She said, your nephew already has kids. Do you think he'd help me out?”

Chiaki looked absolutely stunned for a long second, then he broke down with laughter just like Hajime had before. Naturally, it set Hajime off again, and the two clutched at each other, double over with mirth, keeping each other caught in a loop of laughter. 

It was cathartic, maybe even more so than the tears had been. When they both managed to calm down, Chiaki looked as weary as Hajime felt. Hajime suggested they camp in the living room, like they did when they were kids. It was a squeeze getting two futons into the limited floor space, but they managed. They draped a few blankets over the couch and couple chairs to make hasty, makeshift fort as well. 

“Do you think you can sleep, Chiakkun?” Hajime asked once their camp was all set up. “I’m pretty wiped out. I’m not as young and spry as I used to be.”

Chiaki rolled his eyes. “Shut up. You aren’t even forty yet.”

“I’m close!” Hajime said.

Once they’d curled up, mostly under the blanket fort - “Tomorrow we’re buying you some bigger blankets. This is unacceptable,” Hajime scolded - Chiaki turned his head to look at Hajime.

“Thanks for coming over. Sorry for being,” his voice started to wobble, “so dramatic.”

“Apologize again, and I’ll smother you,” Hajime threatened. “I’m always going to come, okay?”

Even in the dark, Hajime could make out his smile. “Thanks, nii-chan.”

**Author's Note:**

> End Notes: A cat dies of old age in his sleep while being petted by his owner.
> 
> I cried a lot anyway.


End file.
